﻿Lycaena 
  alcon 
  F., 
  as 
  reared 
  in 
  1918-1919. 
  445 
  

  

  and 
  other 
  food 
  provided, 
  presenting 
  a 
  great 
  difficulty 
  to 
  

   effective 
  examination, 
  that 
  I 
  failed 
  adequately 
  to 
  face. 
  

  

  May 
  5. 
  — 
  ^There 
  survive 
  to-day 
  three 
  L. 
  alcon 
  larvae, 
  two 
  in 
  

   nest 
  1 
  {M. 
  scabrinodis) 
  and 
  one 
  in 
  nest 
  3 
  {M. 
  laevinodis). 
  

   Those 
  in 
  nest 
  1 
  are 
  a 
  larva 
  (1) 
  now 
  about 
  7 
  mm. 
  long 
  and 
  the 
  

   other 
  (2) 
  still 
  to 
  all 
  appearance 
  of 
  only 
  wdntering 
  size. 
  The 
  

   one 
  (3) 
  in 
  nest 
  3 
  looks 
  rather 
  starvehng, 
  but 
  is 
  always 
  

   picked 
  up 
  and 
  carried 
  off 
  by 
  the 
  ants 
  when 
  dayhght 
  is 
  let 
  

   into 
  the 
  nest. 
  

  

  Ma}'' 
  19.- 
  -The 
  L. 
  alcon 
  have 
  grown. 
  In 
  nest 
  1 
  No. 
  1 
  is 
  

   now 
  fully 
  9 
  mm. 
  long 
  and 
  stout 
  in 
  proportion, 
  much 
  paler 
  

   in 
  colour, 
  hght 
  rose 
  or 
  flesh 
  colour. 
  No. 
  2 
  is 
  only 
  5 
  mm., 
  

   but 
  looks 
  stouter 
  and 
  paler 
  and 
  is 
  to 
  all 
  appearance 
  doing 
  

   well. 
  No. 
  3 
  (in 
  nest 
  3) 
  is 
  about 
  6 
  mm. 
  long 
  and 
  looks 
  

   thriving,' 
  and 
  contrasts 
  with 
  the 
  starveling 
  it 
  was 
  some 
  

   two 
  or 
  three 
  weeks 
  ago. 
  Since 
  this 
  month 
  came 
  in, 
  it 
  

   has 
  been 
  possible 
  to 
  get 
  varied 
  food 
  for 
  the 
  ants, 
  flies, 
  

   small 
  Tipuhds, 
  etc., 
  but 
  the 
  increased 
  activity 
  of 
  the 
  ants, 
  

   their 
  larvae, 
  and 
  the 
  whole 
  nest, 
  is 
  probably 
  seasonal 
  

   rather 
  than 
  dietetic, 
  though 
  the 
  latter 
  is 
  no 
  doubt 
  essential 
  

   in 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  spring 
  awakening. 
  The 
  ant 
  larvae 
  grow 
  

   very 
  markedly, 
  and 
  eggs 
  are 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  plentiful 
  in 
  nests 
  

   with 
  queens. 
  

  

  May 
  25. 
  — 
  No. 
  1 
  is 
  now 
  very 
  fat, 
  all 
  but 
  10 
  mm. 
  long. 
  

   No. 
  2 
  is 
  growing 
  well, 
  about 
  G'5 
  mm. 
  long. 
  No. 
  3 
  has 
  

   grown 
  very 
  well, 
  nearly 
  7 
  mm. 
  long. 
  There 
  are 
  in 
  nest 
  1 
  

   some 
  worker 
  ant 
  pupae. 
  

  

  May 
  30. 
  — 
  No. 
  1 
  is 
  10 
  mm. 
  long 
  and 
  about 
  2*5 
  thick. 
  

   No. 
  2, 
  8 
  mm. 
  and 
  2 
  mm. 
  thick. 
  No. 
  1 
  is 
  very 
  pale, 
  not 
  

   whitish, 
  but 
  very 
  whitey 
  pink. 
  No. 
  2 
  is 
  darker, 
  about 
  a 
  

   flesh-colour. 
  No. 
  1 
  is 
  therefore 
  about 
  twice 
  the 
  bulk 
  of 
  

   No. 
  2. 
  An 
  ant 
  is 
  about 
  4 
  mm. 
  lonjz 
  and 
  averages 
  perhaps 
  

   O'G 
  mm. 
  thick. 
  The 
  respective 
  bulks 
  would 
  be 
  : 
  No. 
  1, 
  

   62 
  c.mm. 
  ; 
  No. 
  2, 
  32 
  c.mm. 
  ; 
  an 
  ant 
  1*5 
  cram. 
  Yet 
  the 
  

   ants 
  manage 
  to 
  move 
  the 
  larvae 
  about. 
  No. 
  3 
  is 
  9 
  mm. 
  

   long 
  by 
  about 
  2*3 
  across, 
  not 
  of 
  quite 
  so 
  pale 
  a 
  tone 
  as 
  

   No. 
  1. 
  

  

  The 
  ant 
  larvae 
  in 
  nest 
  3 
  have 
  been 
  dwindling 
  in 
  num 
  bers 
  

   of 
  late, 
  and 
  yesterday 
  I 
  gave 
  them 
  more 
  from 
  another 
  

   nest 
  ; 
  there 
  can 
  be 
  little 
  doubt 
  that 
  the 
  L. 
  alcon 
  larva 
  must 
  

   actually 
  eat 
  them. 
  

  

  Jime 
  9. 
  — 
  No. 
  1 
  L. 
  alcon 
  very 
  pale, 
  11 
  mm. 
  long. 
  No. 
  2 
  

   seen 
  on 
  examining 
  nest 
  to 
  have 
  half 
  a 
  larva 
  (or 
  rather 
  less) 
  

   held 
  between 
  its 
  head 
  and 
  forward 
  abdominal 
  segments, 
  

  

  